Khareef, which means ‘autumn’ in Arabic, is a period of seasonal weather in the southern Dhofar governorate of Oman. It causes the lands to become lush green, the hills to be surrounded by white fog, and light rain to drizzle almost 24 hours a day unlike the extremely hot weather in the rest of Oman from June to September.
But as an avid photographer and nature lover, there are lots to explore before the actual arrival of khareef. During this period, clear visibility is an amazing opportunity to see distant objects and most importantly there is a dramatic sky with beautiful clouds.
My idea is not just to take beautiful pictures of the place. In my recent photo-exploration, I’ve made up my mind to show people the wonderful places in Dhofar to encourage them to visit and enjoy them. There are many beautiful sites that are not well known and not visited by many including spectacular valleys, mountains, deserts and beautiful hidden beaches.
Wadi Darbat is one of the most-visited locations in Salalah. Filled with different natural and man-made attractions, it is the perfect setting for a family getaway which typically is something the local population enjoy. But driving far beyond Wadi Darbat towards other wilayats, one will discover that Dhofar is a big place that offers a dramatic landscape for everyone to enjoy.
Milkyway visibility and stargazing are astonishing during pre-monsoon. The key to stargazing is scouting a location undisturbed by artificial lighting. To capture the night sky and the millions of stars, it is important that the spot has no light pollution. Months from May to September are the best to photograph the Milky Way in the Sultanate because it’s above the horizon at night time. In Dhofar, we can witness it before khareef and occasionally after khareef for a short time. To successfully take amazing photos of the night sky, it is important to know beforehand the basic camera settings and technical information (like aperture, shutter speed, exposure, and sharpness).
As an orthopaedic surgeon in Salalah, I hardly get time during weekdays. To fulfil my photography passion, I always travel with my wife and kids to explore nature with them. Armed with my Nikon D7500 and various lenses, I get to mix two things that I love — making sure that my family enjoy the outdoors and me having an opportunity to capture some nice shots.
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